If you are on facebook, you’d pobably have seen my comment about not being able to go away without being moved somehow, after having been in contact with a true artist and his art. You would also probably have seen an earlier comment about it being a packed and interesting weekend. Allow me to go someway in explaining those two statements, and how they are intertwined.
A friend had asked me to go to an exhibit by a local photographer. I was hesitant initially, as such exhibits are usually just opportunities for the photographer to blow his own trumpet, for the “artsy” set to schmooze, and for participants (and wannabe photographers) to ask “how-to” questions, especially since there was going to be a coffee session for a chance to speak with the photographer himself in a cosy setting.
Up till this morning, I was still undecided…and only made up my mind to go about 45 minutes before I was supposed to meet my friend. Anyhow, I made my way to meet him, and to my chagrin, I saw that he had asked other people to come along. I was a little annoyed that I would have to socialise with unfamiliar people, and go through the usual niceties.
To my own utter surprise, I took to them extremely well, and within minutes, were talking and sharing thoughts/ideas as if we had known each other for years. We made our way to the exhibit, and even more surprises were in store. The photographer was a truly humble and down-to-earth guy, and spent time talking to each and every visitor. And he was even willing to share how he took each shot, the approach taken, the equipment used (there was no running away from that), the difficulties faced, the editing process, and the final selection process. Now here was a guy who was truly confident in his own God-given talent and abilities, and was not afraid to share his “secrets” with others.
I found it a really refreshing change, and listening to him speak seemed to lift photography above the techno-babble and petty debates in online forums about Nikon vs Canon, which lens was better, whether an 11-blade diaphram gave a “creamier” bokeh over the 9-blade one, or whether HDR really made a photo better…and restored it to it’s rightful place as an art form.
While there were the usual “what lens/exposure/setting did you use” questions, he took them all. Throughout the afternooon, one could really sense the passion he had for his art…his craft…and his camera was merely an instrument, a tool…an extension of himself.
It made me think a lot about myself, my photography, why I do it, and what I want to do with it. While I was not moved enough to shell out thousands for one of his works (heh), I bought a copy of his book.
The afternoon was truly one which was inspirational, and meeting other like-minded photographers has restored my faith in the local photography community…well, some of them at least…
(If you are interested, more information about the artist and the exhibition can be found at www.alexsohphotography.com. The exhibition is on till 18 September. And if you find some of the artwork/photos familar, it is probably because you saw them before in Our Daily Bread.)
